Франкенштейн
Chapter 3
Sosaying,hesteppedasideandwrotedownalistofseveralbookstreatingofnaturalphilosophywhichhedesiredmetoprocure,anddismissedmeaftermentioningthatinthebeginningofthefollowingweekheintendedtocommenceacourseoflecturesuponnaturalphilosophyinitsgeneralrelations,andthatM.Waldman,afellowprofessor,wouldlectureuponchemistrythealternatedaysthatheomitted.
Ireturnedhomenotdisappointed,forIhavesaidthatIhadlongconsideredthoseauthorsuselesswhomtheprofessorreprobated;butIreturnednotatallthemoreinclinedtorecurtothesestudiesinanyshape.M.Krempewasalittlesquatmanwithagruffvoiceandarepulsivecountenance;theteacher,therefore,didnotprepossessmeinfavourofhispursuits.Inratheratoophilosophicalandconnectedastrain,perhaps,IhavegivenanaccountoftheconclusionsIhadcometoconcerningtheminmyearlyyears.AsachildIhadnotbeencontentwiththeresultspromisedbythemodernprofessorsofnaturalscience.Withaconfusionofideasonlytobeaccountedforbymyextremeyouthandmywantofaguideonsuchmatters,Ihadretrodthestepsofknowledgealongthepathsoftimeandexchangedthediscoveriesofrecentinquirersforthedreamsofforgottenalchemists.Besides,Ihadacontemptfortheusesofmodernnaturalphilosophy.Itwasverydifferentwhenthemastersofthesciencesoughtimmortalityandpower;suchviews,althoughfutile,weregrand;butnowthescenewaschanged.Theambitionoftheinquirerseemedtolimititselftotheannihilationofthosevisionsonwhichmyinterestinsciencewaschieflyfounded.Iwasrequiredtoexchangechimerasofboundlessgrandeurforrealitiesoflittleworth.
SuchweremyreflectionsduringthefirsttwoorthreedaysofmyresidenceatIngolstadt,whichwerechieflyspentinbecomingacquaintedwiththelocalitiesandtheprincipalresidentsinmynewabode.
